BIOL 802 Organic Evolution Fall 2014 Instructor Information: Dr. Dawn Simon email: simondm@unk.edu Phone: (308) 865-8470 Office: Bruner Hall of Sciences, Room 201C Hours: MWF 9:00-11:00 a.m. (CST) and other times by appointment. During the week, I check email messages at least twice a day (once in the morning and once in late afternoon) and will usually respond within 24 (weekday) hours. (For example, if you email me on a Friday afternoon, I will typically respond by Monday afternoon.) In special circumstances, responses may be delayed up to 48 hours. I do not have voice mail on my office phone, so it is best to leave messages for me via email. Course Description: This course is an overview of the basic concepts in evolutionary biology with a focus on pattern and process through the use of examples. Molecular and organismal data will be examined. Course Objectives: 1. Students will recognize the pattern of biological evolution. 2. Students will be able to differentiate between evolutionary mechanisms (natural selection, random genetic drift, mutation, and migration). 3. Students will appreciate different approaches (e.g., organismal, molecular) to studying evolutionary biology. 4. Students will develop critical thinking skills by identifying assumptions of alternative evolutionary hypotheses and evaluating evidence. 5. Students will demonstrate the ability to form a coherent evidence- based argument and communicate this in writing. 6. Students will be able to locate and appropriately use examples from the primary literature. Text: Evolutionary Analysis (2013, 5 th edition); Jon C. Herron & Scott Freeman; Benjamin Cummings ISBN- 10: 0321616677 ISBN- 13: 978-0321616678 In the Light of Evolution (2011); Jonathan Losos (Editor); Roberts and Company Publishers ISBN- 10: 0981519490 ISBN- 13: 978-0981519494 Computer Requirements: You are required to have frequent access to a computer with internet connectivity. I expect you to access the Blackboard site at least once per day. Please refer to the ecampus website to make sure you meet the minimum hardware/software and internet connection speed required by all UNK ecampus students (http://www.unk.edu/academics/ecampus/resources- info/students/requirements.php). Written assignments must be completed using Microsoft Office. This program is available at a student discount from our bookstore (http://www.unk.edu/offices/its/technology_store/index.php). Mode of Instruction: This course is entirely online and comprised of lectures, readings, and assignments. Most weeks you are required to watch two lectures, complete the assigned readings, participate in discussion boards and complete a quiz.
Grades: The course grade is based on quizzes (13 quizzes, 5-10 pts each = 115 pts), discussion board posts (180 points), exams (2 exams, 200 pts each = 400 pts), and a paper (120 pts). Minor modifications to assigned points may occur and will be announced. Letter grades, using the plus/minus system, will be assigned using the standard grading scale for the Dept. of Biology, as follows: A (93-100%), A- (90-92%), B+ (88-89%), B (83-87%), B- (80-82%), C+ (78-79%), C (73-77%), C- (70-72%), D+ (68-69%), D (63-67%), D- (60-62%), and F (below 60%). Your final grade will be rounded up (so, if you finish with an 82.5% your grade will be a B). Lectures: Lectures will be posted by 6:00 p.m. CST each Tuesday and Friday (when applicable). Weekly Assignments: Most weeks you will need to complete both reading and written assignments. Weekly announcements will be made that include the specific reading assignments and reminders of any assignment deadlines for that week. Discussion boards For discussion board assignments, I will post a series of questions/topics for discussion related to assigned reading and/or lecture (2-4 per week). Most weeks you will be required to respond to at least two of the original questions (5 pts each), and must also contribute to the overall discussion by interacting with your classmates/myself. In addition to your original response grade, you will also be given an overall interaction score each week (5-10 pts). To earn full points per post, the initial posts must include evidence to support your point using appropriate references. Your post should be at least one paragraph in length (5-10 sentences). A rubric for discussion board posts can be found on Blackboard (Start Here à Course Policies and Additional Materials à Grading Policies à Discussion Board). Responses to classmates will not always require the use of a reference, but must add to the overall discussion (e.g., statements of nice job or I agree alone do not do this.) These response posts may consist of comments, questions, or new ideas that have been generated after reading the student s answer (e.g., if you have a question, what piece of evidence prompted the question?). In addition, there will be opportunities for you to contribute discussion board topics and ask content- related questions. These would also contribute to your interaction score. This score is by nature difficult to define; positive aspects would include multiple posts, posts that generate additional discussion and responding to questions. In order to better facilitate interactions, you will be divided into discussion groups of ten. I will also do my best to participate in discussions after the initial posts are made. Please review the material on Blackboard regarding proper Netiquette (Start Here à Course Policies and Additional Materials à Expectations à Discussion Boards and Netiquette). Disrespectful or otherwise inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. See schedule on the last page for deadlines. Except under extraordinary circumstances, late posts will not be accepted. Quizzes: Most weeks you will also be required to complete one quiz over the previous week s lectures and readings. These will be worth 5-10 pts per week. The quizzes will be timed, but open resource. See schedule on the last page for deadlines. Exams: There will be two exams, each with a take home portion of one or more essay questions and a timed portion consisting primarily of multiple choice/true- false/matching questions.
Paper: One component of your grade will be based on the completion of a short paper (~10 pages). The subject of this paper will be derived from a recent (2013-2014) story in the news related to evolution. More details about this paper will be provided as the deadline approaches, however you may begin to accumulate possible news articles in the meantime. The topic approval assignment will require submission of two news articles and a brief summary of how you plan to expand this in a full- length paper. These topics may also be used periodically as subjects for discussion. Late assignments will incur a 20% deduction per day and after 3 days they will not be accepted. Academic Integrity: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. You must cite all sources and rephrase content in your own words. You assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the work you submit. All written assignments (and some discussion board posts) will be scanned through Safe Assignment via Blackboard. Students who plagiarize any part of their assignments or exams will at minimum receive a zero on that assignment and could potentially fail this course. Appropriate References: For the purposes of this course, an appropriate reference is defined as a peer- reviewed journal article or book chapter, assigned reading material (including your text) and lecture material. Note that in most cases, lecture material will be derived from a clearly cited peer- reviewed publication or your text; in these cases the original source should be cited. Please see Blackboard for the proper format (Start Here à Course Policies and Additional Materials à Expectationa à Guidelines for References). Policy on Incompletes: To be considered for an incomplete in this course the following protocol must be followed: 1. You must submit in writing the reasons for your inability to complete the scheduled work. This should include a copy of your class schedule and description of other responsibilities. If necessary it should also include confirmation from your employer. 2. The missed assignments must be specified, along with a schedule of plans to complete them. 3. A copy of the above information should be submitted to the Chair of the Department of Biology and the Dean of Natural and Social Sciences. This information will then be reviewed and your request considered. Students with Disabilities or Those Who are Pregnant: Students with disabilities or those who are pregnant are encouraged to contact me for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska at Kearney to provide flexible and individualized reasonable accommodation to students with documented disabilities or those who are pregnant. To receive accommodation services for a disability, students must be registered with UNK Disabilities Services Coordinator, David Brandt, in the Academic Success Office, 163 Memorial Student Affairs Building, 308-865- 8214 or by email brandtdl@unk.edu. For those needing accommodation due to pregnancy, you need to visit with Student Health. The following link provides information for students and faculty regarding pregnancy rights. http://www.nwlc.org/resource/pregnant- and- parenting- students- rights- faqs- college- and- graduate- students The link to the above statement is as follows: http://unkcms.unk.edu/offices/disability_services/
Course Schedule & Assignment Deadlines (subject to modification, refer to Blackboard) Week Topic Assignment Due (6:00 p.m. CST) 1 L1 Course Introduction (T) DP 1 Fri., Aug. 29 L2 Historical Perspectives (F) 2 L3 Pattern of Evolution (T) DP Wed., Sept. 3 L4 Process of Evolution (F) Quiz #1 2 Thurs., Sept. 4 DI 3 Fri., Sept. 5 3 L5 Phylogenetics I (T) DP Wed., Sept. 10 L6 Phylogenetics II (F) Quiz #2 Thurs., Sept. 11 DI Fri., Sept. 12 Paper Topic Fri., Sept. 12 4 L7 Genetic Variation (T) DP Wed., Sept. 17 L8 Selection and Mutation (F) Quiz #3 Thurs., Sept. 18 DI Fri., Sept. 19 5 L9 Random Genetic Drift (T) DP Wed., Sept. 24 L10 Migration/ Quiz #4 Thurs., Sept. 25 Nonrandom Mating (F) DI Fri., Sept. 26 6 L11 Evol. at Multiple Loci I (T) DP Wed., Oct. 1 L12 Evol. at Multiple Loci II (F) Quiz #5 Thurs., Oct. 2 DI Fri., Oct. 3 7 L13 Molecular Evolution I (T) DP Wed., Oct. 8 L14 Molecular Evolution II (F) Quiz #6 Thurs., Oct. 9 DI Fri., Oct. 10 8 L15 Adaptation (T) Exam 1 (L1- L14) Fri., Oct. 17 9 - - - Fall Break DP Wed., Oct. 22 L16 Sexual Selection (F) Quiz #7 Thurs., Oct. 23 DI Fri., Oct. 24 10 L17 Evol. of Social Behavior (T) DP Wed., Oct. 29 L18 Genome Evolution (F) Quiz #8 Thurs., Oct. 30 DI Fri., Oct. 31 Paper Fri., Oct. 31 11 L19 Species Concepts (T) DP Wed., Nov. 5 L20 Speciation (F) Quiz #9 Thurs., Nov. 6 DI Fri., Nov. 7 12 L21 Origin of Life (T) DP Wed., Nov. 12 L22 Early Evolution (F) Quiz #10 Thurs., Nov. 13 DI Fri., Nov. 14 13 L23 Evol. & the Fossil Record I (T) DP Wed., Nov. 19 L24 Evol. & the Fossil Record II (F) Quiz #11 Thurs., Nov. 20 DI Fri., Nov. 21
14 L25 Development & Evolution (T) - - - Thanksgiving Break 15 L26 Human Origin & Evol. I (T) DP Wed., Dec. 3 L27 Human Origin & Evol. II (F) Quiz #12 Thurs., Dec. 4 DI Fri., Dec. 5 16 L28 Evol. & Human Health (T) DP Wed., Dec. 10 Quiz #13 Thurs., Dec. 11 DI Fri., Dec. 12 - - - Finals Week Exam 2 (L15- L28) Tues., Dec. 16 1Discussion board post in response to original topics/questions posed by Dr. Simon. They will cover the previous week s assigned readings/lectures. You are generally required to respond to two topics per week and each post is worth a maximum of 5 points. 2Quizzes are worth 5-10 points and will cover the previous week s lectures/assigned readings. 3Discussion board interactive posts (see description above). Each week you may earn a maximum of 5 points.